I was putting together a short presentation about my research so far and ended up compiling a list of the main iterations that my research questions has gone through. It is interesting to see how the focus has shifted over the past two months and I feel it is a representation of the learning process that has occurred.
(1) Starting point: With the emergence of network enabled digital devices, our understanding of the concept of ‘place’ has changed. The research will look the role of ‘place’ and ‘space’ in learning, focusing in particular at the tension between significance of the physical built environment, such as a university campus, and the virtual learning spaces created through networking and collaboration through the internet and mobile devices. By looking at how education inhabits a spaces, I am looking for the common ground where the value of the physical built environment is enriched by the engagement and interaction facilitated by the virtual one.
2 – Rather than perceiving the virtual and the physical learning environments as two separate / divided / standalone entities, this research looks at how can the wireless, network enabled digital device be used a mediating tool between the virtual and physical to reinvent the learning space.
3 – How can the wireless networked device be used as a mediating tool to facilitate learning in atemporal and virtual space?
4 – How can the wireless networked device be used to facilitate collaboration in atemporal space?
5 – This research addresses the current gap in knowledge by looking at how the collaboration potential of the device can truly be harnessed beyond simple translation and consumption of content as a means of learning, but rather a vehicle for the learning that occurs through collaboration. The study aims to develop an understanding of why the existing pedagogies exist by looking at the historical contexts which are based in space. It then goes on to look at the learning which occurs through collaboration and how the device facilitates meaningful interaction beyond the constraints of time and place.
6 – Examine the role of the mobile device in tertiary education. Evaluate the effectiveness of it’s current applications – to what extent do they facilitate collaboration?
7 – In a society where people and knowledge are defined by mobility, the role of the mobile device is to facilitate conversations beyond spatial and temporal constraints. As the mobile device is increasingly becoming appropriated for use in academic contexts, how can the communicative nature of the device be utilised in learner-centred collaborative knowledge building?
Collaboration
As a key point in my research, I felt it was important to start unpacking the mean around the word. The prefix takes several forms – co, col, con, com, cor and implies some aspect of mutuality, togetherness, joint, accompanying, etc.
From a few of the identified words:
– Collaboration can be understood as a recursive process where two or more people work together to achieve a shared goal or objective.
– A community exists around a shared belief, vision, or goal as well as shared resources.
– Trade or commerce originated with the start of communication around the idea of bartering. It can be likened to the idea of long distance communication where different regions bartered their specialized goods and services.
– A conference brings together groups of likeminded people around a shared interest.
– To compare / contrast is to look at two things together in terms of their similarities or differences.
Creativity, Technology, Innovation 